MR HILEY'S REPORT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15444, 5 September 1914, Page 15

MR HILEY'S REPORT.

A COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT. "COMMERCIAL AGENT" RECOMMENDED. DEFECTIVE ROLLING STOCK. The following are some points from Mr Hiley's report on the New Zealand Railways:— It is apparent throughout the "system that the principal officers have to spend too great a. .portion of their time on office x'outine duties] instead of being aliie to devote, themselves to matters of principle affecting the administration, of their iv.ipi.enve branches and obtaining first-hand information as to the requirements of the wide area served by l lie Governim-nt railways. This is distinctly detrimental to efficient control. 'J he evil slants at the very foun-tain-head, the General .Manager and his assistant (the chief clerk) being often immersed in minutiae and routine! duties that could very well bo dealt with by an officer in a lower -grade, j The chief clerk's present' designation is entirely a misnomer. He lias boon ] acting as ; and had the responsibilities of. assistant gc-neral manager" for, several years, and his position should now be properly defined by giving him this title. The General Manatter. as well as tho branch officers. - ought tc> travel fre-: o:!''*itly. so as to keen in touch with tbo public ami tho railway staff, and bo able to form, from direct, personal observation. their own -conclusions as to the maniur in which the railway business is being conducted and the efficiency of the stall" in different localities. AVhen reviewing the method of traffic management I was forcibly struck with tho lack of systematic outside supervision by responsible officers; yet, in no branch of railway business is pors: nil superv'sion so c- sciitial." In this bra-.ch tho uv.itie has completely outgrown tlu< existing organisation, ami the strengti:ei;eii:g- ■ and - reinodellitx.r of the traffic manager's and district traffic managoffices must he undertaken to put m:'it -rs oil a satisfactory footiig. The appointment of assistant district traffic managers will give nil additional venue for promotion to ambitious young officers and form an "excellent learning for future district- traffic managers.

'! lio railway ti*;iflie officer is trained primarily In conduct trailie operations wita tlit? pessihlc rcon >mv cons stent with sasoty. Kcou ,my •I'liinatcly becomes and remains almr>»L" twcnd nature to ilie traffic min. wtiri.so olli- j cios.cy is iy judged by i.is jicilitv t« < meentrate the traffic into b'r: train-' loads and to work It the niu n,-,-.in of' trrin miieap-. !Keonomv of haulage ijdwi r even to -lie extent ~f pirisimniyis :i'iiardrd as virtue nml should he eui n;:ra'T(l in the tra-ilie ufiie?'-. -hut t:> the nreper hblaeiv n she conduct o* t :;e iinde' takinij an antidote necessary < >^- rlu'.v Is a dan ~{ i.oiv Im-ine-s which may "sill i ; ii:tely riomie remunerative. heiin: «:;i(l«<l instead of nursed. .'1 he antidote [ propose i- tlie i»i :i * VmiMiioroia! T!official will not he in Id directly responsible for the r:nt. of IralYc i perat'ens. I>n; ui!l I. > expected l-> oxnlain ail decreases in busi;ie.; S . I]is duty v. ili In* to :iurcase tlie sale el tl'ansport -liv I'vev means available. and lie i 11 v.-ii-allv be soinewliat at variance wish the tr. tlie inariaeor'.s economical views. The officer eons rolling traffic working may l>e a nessiir.isr as far as Migeosi » Ms front i It"' public are concerned. i lie eeianier-i-ial n.nein should lie an optimist <'f a pronounced di seription. constantly tmploy:ij'4 In.-v iniiemi ty a- a salesman in eve.vine schemes to popularise I rave', by i:ii;. '1 no traffic. olt:-.er may he tinned in aet as all eli'eetive brake upon tile remni'Trial r.lieiit u lieu the hitler's efforts t-'lld t i -pr.il tlie awr.ieo ot oper;<t illcosts nr loaiTiif;; returns. The I'unrlieti the general manage• is to hoi.l the balance between these two extremists. I lie time lias arrived when it is es-.-ential to appoint a i'uily i,;iali'ied ~s-s:.-,t::ut s : .-,t::ut s'mia! and into inc.v':i.: t, v. he. will lie capable 'vhevni,; i I;i----nal engineer ot rummc 'ioti : '~. him to iev-ite lis i l-.'-r,. i'.s ai:d lime lo prim- p|e s invoice! • 11 she si ltii a I Ii u e and ■ ait'loor -npervi'inn and : l.e -teu e vilal in; • rloekiirj; systems. '• lie-re lias appar eritly h "ii no op[v.:::t,n y J\.r. and 11 ) p. - ihihty . i' .;iiy .'r coai'erteil v. it h I lie depar; 11.. at t.htaei.'n.; the i r ;i:ii ie I r ainin-.' n:d espcr <-u- e in New y,;i lain;. HI i - i-' 11111"| 11 ;: 1:1 i • • -. :s i r uiii e.ai'i"'l the N d» part mi ill to t;e mu- ide I he !>.iiinircn l ; ehta n a stiiia.Me mnn. I 'v ■ii'ii'Siriid that ani'iii'-iiions !i.- invit ' ti ||.r I he ;rn~i: :i I ;|!I -.'illy t'.ei' f I oi'l ■ f-ditie 1 in-ii iii An ,• ralia. ihe llrit's'i a.el 1 -he sa'ary 'o i i.rMin-a I, , e i' V i -t:111■ I• 11. The J t.. i* «•<' I 1; ' '"lei r 11 - i ; lieini; in- • r.ased lie tI •1:11,11.1'- tf re.l.'i

tiounl sfgnal inspectors, signal adjusters, and linemen to imp* jjvo tho mnintor.anco ami inspection of signalling apparatus. The best- training ground for making capable traffic officers is unqi'eit.io:'ab'y on the relieving atsff. The appointment to relieving s-ta-'f T\i[i in future be by most careful *elec;iin and tho members in this grade will be reviewed annually, so that cnly the most competont- remain to -/radii i°- 1 through the various relieving positions until a linn! selection can be made of those most suitable to receive a special wo- viars' training. The srleeteU traffic officers would bo attached to the General Manager's office and be passed successively through- the locomotive rui'U'nj bn'nch, a draughting office of the District Engineer (cainienanco" branch), and the District Traffic Manager's office studying various problems in each of the branches. Trafffic officers who undergo training on the Imii>s indicated -and profit by the r opportunities should emerge qualified railway men. Additional opportunities, witl be ghcu to memhers of the second division to qualify for places in the first division. . . RATES. Questions of rating will remain in tho General Manager's office, and be tinder his" immediate jurisdiction. At tho present timo a comnvttc-e of railway officials is analysing the local and general rates in force on the various sections of railway, and inquiring closely into tho local condtions prevailing. When the invest'gatious have been completed the whole of the rates j will bo reviewed by the General Man- ] ; ager personally, with the object of br ng'mg tho rates into conformity with tho existing conditions and removing, where possible and expedient, niid anomalies that may be found to exist. The complexity of tthe "question and the magnitude of the interests involved make it imperative, to proceed with caution before disturbing the incidence- of rating. I find the local condition's here, as elsewhere, are all in tho of increas'ng tho cost of traffic operations, and when the question of revision is finally considered it will probably be' found necessary to advance eertain_rates, so as to maintain tho financial equilibrium and obtain a fa. : r return from tho Government railways' undertaking.

NEED SCRAPPING. Tho locomotive stock includes a'Considerable number of engines of types that aro obsolete —altogether unsuitable for existing acquirements... ..They arc defiicient in power, and consequently costly to operate. -Their low tractive jiower arid inability to take what is now considered a fair load retard the movement of traffic, cause congestion, and add greatly to the d.fficufties inseparable from single-Liie working. Altogether some 72 engines of various types cime within the scope of these remarks. . It . is imperative that 3.3. of these should be scrapped, and "replaced at t'he earliest : possible moment; tho balance (39) being similarly treated as opportunity offers.

LEVEL CROSSINGS. The experiments that have been made wJtli .die alarm installed at Levin having proved satisfactory, material _has been-ordered for 200 machines, which "it Ts proposed to install .at busy, crossings and at other crossings whore the view of the railway line is restricted. It ■will' take three years to complete, tho .installation which "it is proposed to undertake at tho rato of 100 machines per annum. Tho expenditure involved will be approximately £22.3001 ' To gVe timely warning to drivers of road vehicles of ; the'' approach to radway. crossings, an offer has been made to lct.a.l bodies which control roads under.....which- the Railway Department would provide and erect advance notice boards some distance from rnlhj-'ay crossings, provided the local bodies would afterwards lnaintn.'n the notices. Up to the present the majority of the local bodies have declined, to fall in. with tlig suggestion. Tlrs is unfortunate in vow of tho fact that the .Railway Department cannot maintain notices cr perform works outside tho railway boun-daries.-It was proposed What tho distant warning boards referred to should bo. in addition to. and not .in substitution of. the warning notice beards already placed by the Ra'lway Department at the crossiigs. NEVT STATIONS. Now stations are proposed * for . Auckland, ' AVellington:' and. Christchurch, involving sums of £450.000, : £ISO.OOO, and £320.000 respectiveJv. I- ' - ' .. .... * : ELECTRIFICATION. I Lyttelton-Christchurch Liuc. The | advocates of electrification of the j Lytiefton-Christehurcli line have an exaggerated idea of the-benefits to lie derived from the substitution of electrical haulage for steam between these i two points, especially those out-and-out enthusiasts who press for olcctrification in preference to duplication..The substitution of electricity for steam haulage over the single lino would merely cure tho smoke nuisance. The congestion and delay to traffic caused by the disabilities of tho single lino would remain uucured. It is obvious that what is 'immediately required is an up and down track to facilitate the means of traffic working between Christchurch and its Watergate. Tho present- single line cannot cojio with tho business when shipping is brisk. | THE MINISTER'S STATEMENT. Tho Minister's annual Railway Statement points out that the failure of the revenue to meet tho-estimates was duo to a faliing-off of the goods traffic, tho restriction of travel by the- smallpox epidemic, and the loss-of the Easter holiday excursion traffic. Referring to Mr Hiley's report the Minister says:—There is no doubt in my mind that if the railway business of the Dominion is to bo-efficiently carried ..out and .the department satisfactorily performs its functions in dealing with the commerce of tho country, considerable additions must be made to the existing railway facilities. Tlio amount involved in providing new lines, grade easements, bridge strengthening. and new locomotives will be remunerative for all time and give a handsome return on the investment. The new stations and improvements to station yards are essential to the economical and efficient conduct of the business, and may also be regarded as remunerative expenditure. The signalling and interim-king expenditure is essential in the interests of public, safety, and ihe workshops additions are for increasing the ■output of rolling stock and enabling the department to avoid the necessity of going abroad for plant in the near fu: lire.